A Small Hand
by Walkinthegarden
Summary: When the Hardys recieve a phone call alerting them that Nancy was beaten into a coma by her husband, their lives take an unexpected turn. Nancy named Frank the legal guardians of her children and Ned's family will do anything to take them back. Having been estranged from his family for so long, can Frank settle into the role of a father to the love of his life's children?
1. The Phone Call that Changed Everything

Chapter 1 – The Phone Call that Changed Everyone

To think he'd been worried about a simple family get together was ludicrous to Frank now. It wasn't that he disliked his family; it was just that every time the family got together his mother would question him on his love life. He hadn't wanted to go, but knew Anne and his mother wouldn't take no for an answer, and he hadn't seen them in a while.

"Uncle Frank!" a small voice had cried out the minute he stepped through the door. Before he'd even had a chance to take off his coat, Frank had found his arms full of a rambunctious three year old, Joe's son, Freddy. The boy was handsome, as any child of Joe would be, with his mother's beautiful golden hair that fell to his shoulders, Frank's bright blue eyes, and Joe's small frame. He was what some would call _pretty_ instead of handsome, something Frank hoped he would grow out of.

"Freddy, how you doing?" Frank had greeted.

"Uncle Frank!" the boy repeated happily.

"Frank is that you?" a female voice had called. Before he could respond, a beautiful woman with flowing gold hair and brown eyes had appeared in the doorway.

"Hello Anne," Frank said as he looked over his sister in law. She wasn't as young as she had been the last time he'd seen her, having aged considerably since the death of her and Joe's oldest child the year previous, but some how she hadn't allowed it to jade her. She was still every bit the loving mother and wife. "How are you?"

"Alright I guess, Freddy keeps my hands full of course and with Joe on the road all the time it's difficult, but we do well, don't we Freddy?"

"Speaking of Joe, where is everyone?"

"Well Joe went with your parents to the store to grab a few bags of cement to repave the driveway and Cordy is upstairs playing with her dolls. She's real excited to see you Frank, you don't come home often enough," Anne said fondly as she took the sleepy toddler from him. "Freddy has too, he was awake all night last night, poor thing must be exhausted."

"I'm happy to see them too. I'll put my things away in the guest room then I'll stop by Cordy's room and see her."

"Alright, I'll put Freddy down in our room. Dinner will be ready in ten minutes; can you bring Cordy down when you two are done playing?"

"Sure thing Anne," Frank replied as he grabbed his bags and headed up the stairs of his childhood home. He placed his bags in the closet and moved to exit when he noticed something on the floor. He kneeled down to get a better look when he heard a crash.

"FRANK! Frank come down here!"

Frank ran from the room, spotting Cordy poking her head out the door.

"Uncle Frank?"

"Cordy, I want you to go into my room darling. Can you do that for me?"

"Yes Uncle Frank."

"Anne!" he'd yelled as he ran down the stairs to see Anne leaning against the wall to support herself, tears pooling in her eyes. "Anne, what is it? Are you alright?"

"It's Nancy, Frank, Ned beat her pretty bad. She's in surgery."


	2. The Heart of a Child

**Warnings for the WHOLE story: Mild Language, Child Abuse, Domestic Abuse, Non-graphic Rape, Emotional Abuse of both a spouse and children, Possible Character Death, Attempted Suicide, and Non-graphic Suicide**

**This story will become dark in many places as the Hardys begin learning the extent of the abuse that went on in the Nickerson household.**

* * *

Chapter 2 – The Heart of a Child

"I still don't understand," Frank said, breaking the silence that had overtaken the small waiting room. "How could nobody know? How could nobody see?"

"He didn't want us to see, she tried to tell me once… I didn't believe her," Carson Drew whispered, laying his head in his hands. Anne laid a comforting hand on the man she considered a friend.

"You can't blame yourself Carson; this is Ned's fault, _not_ yours. Everyone makes mistakes; the important thing is that now we know and we can help. Ned broke, they always do and we should thank the Lord Nan had a nightmare and the neighbor happened to look out his window or we may have never known," Anne assured.

"A child saving their parent, shouldn't it be the other way around?" Mr. Drew asked wearily.

"No, there are many ways our children save us. After Nathan's death–" Frank noticed Joe's sharp intake of breath at the sound of his deceased son's name, "–I nearly died. I thought I could never go on, like life wasn't worth living anymore. To this day I can remember the look on Joe's face when he found me the day I tried to kill myself, it should have been enough, to see someone I love so dearly so afraid, but it wasn't. All I wanted was my son, my perfect little Nathan, I wanted to die, I refused to fight even though Joe was pleading with me. It wasn't until Freddy came home and ran into the room before Joe could stop him. It was Freddy screaming for me to wake up that I fought. He saved me Carson, and Nan saved Nancy. Nancy was in that same kind of situation, and just like Freddy did with me, Nan saved Nancy. She gave Nancy another chance to live the life she deserves."

"I can't lose her Anne, first her mother… parents aren't meant to bury their children."

"No, we aren't, but Nancy isn't dead Carson. She's in surgery, fighting for her life, we mustn't give up on her." Mr. Drew looked down into Anne's moist eyes and gave her a soft nod.

"I'm going to ring home and see how the kids are doing," Joe murmured lightly, knowing that no one heard him. Truth be told he knew exactly how the kids were doing, it was well after midnight and they would all be tucked away in bed with maybe the exception of Nan, he just wanted to get some air. Hearing Anne talk about the darkest period of their lives like that had brought back memories he had tried hard to forget.

He didn't think, just let his feet take him wherever. When he finally decided to look at his surroundings he was more surprised then he probably should have to find himself in the ICU, staring into a room void of people.

"Are you alright sir?" a young woman asked. She was dressed in a black sweater and blue jeans that looked rumpled and wrinkled. _She probably hasn't gone home since whoever she's visiting arrived._ She looked tired and her hair was going every which way, a sight he was all too familiar with.

"How long?" he asked. She seemed startled by the question, but it didn't seem to offend her. She stuffed her hands in her pockets and leaned against the glass wall of the ICU room.

"Two days, at the most."

"How'd it happen?"

"Car accident," she said with a sad sigh. From the lack of tears and her appearance he guessed it'd happened a few days ago.

"I'm sorry," he told her sincerely yet void of any indicator that he was feeling any emotion aside from his moist eyes.

"In the end there is no one to blame but him, he got drunk, he drove the car; doesn't mean I'm not sad." He nodded, telling her without words that he understood her pain. She looked ready to break, but at the same time she was so calm and together.

"My son died in that room," he said, his throat thick with unshed tears and choked sobs.

"How?" She seemed to really want to know, so he told her.

"We don't know, one minute he was healthy and the next he was on the ground having a seizure and coughing up blood. They brought him into the ICU, got him on the bed, got him to stop convulsing and coughing. They said they were calling their diagnostics doctor, that he was only two floors up while they ordered all these tests I can't remember anymore. My wife was holding him, rocking him back and forth. By the time he got there…" the tears spilled from Joe's eyes as he thought back to his oldest son, anger boiling inside him. "Ten minutes. _Ten. Fucking. Minutes_. That was all it took for the doctor to get to us. It took us five minutes to get him to the hospital, seven minutes for them to get him to stop bleeding and convulsing, one minute to call the doctor and ten minutes for him to get here. Not even a half hour, my entire world changed."

The redhead nodded sympathetically as she tried to keep her own tears at bay. Losing a child, so fast and so unexpected… what could possibly be worse? "I'm sorry."

"I swore to myself I would never let another person I love die, and I didn't even see that the bastard was abusing her."

"Abuse is one of those things nobody truly sees, it's a big problem. If they want to hide it from you they will. How's she doing?"

"She's in surgery, don't know much else."

"Go, be with your family. There was nothing you could do for your son; there is something you can do for her."

"What is that?" he asked, lifting his head to meet her eyes for the first time.

"Pray," she told him, gently patting his shoulder as she walked away. Suddenly very exhausted, Joe walked to the waiting room for the ICU, where a few families were spread out, staring at the floor or unseeingly flipping through a magazine. Taking a chair by the corner, he took out his cell phone and pressed his mother's speed dial, knowing his mother would have not fallen asleep without knowing one way or the other how Nancy was.

"_Joe!"_ the woman all but screamed into the phone. _"How's Nancy? Is she out of surgery? What about the rest of you? Are you eating? How bad are her injuries? Will she be alright? Joe dear, talk to me…"_

"No word mom, she's still in surgery. I was just calling to check up on the kids."

"_Don't worry about that Joe. Freddy, Cordy, and Nicky are asleep in Cordy's room since she has the queen bed and all. Nan is awake though, poor girl can't sleep, not after everything she's seen today."_

"To be expected. I didn't think she'd get much sleep."

"_No, she wants to know why Ned hurt her mother. From what I can gather she's never seen him hurt Nancy before, nor has he ever hurt her or Nicky, thank the lord for small blessings."_

"Just talk with her mom, Ned's locked away for good. While thoroughly agitated, I'm glad the neighbor decided to take a video on his camera. Should be an open and shut case."

"_Glad to hear it. I just can't believe none of us saw any signs…"_

"He didn't want us to mom, he didn't want us to."

* * *

**A/n Quick note everyone! It's been pointed out to me that I never mentioned that I based the apperance of Frank and Joe Hardy after the 70's tv show version, which is different from their usual description. That's why Frank has blue eyes and Joe is lean with brown eyes. **

**Now we know a little more about Joe and Anne's deceased son. These things will come into play later in the story. Let me know what you think. **


	3. Puzzle

Chapter 3 – A Puzzle

The night had come and gone and still there was no sign of Nancy's doctor. They had been told of course that she had come in with multiple injuries, and they hadn't expected it to be quick, but twelve hours? What could that man have possibly done to her that would require 12 hours of surgery?

After much discussion and arguing, Joe managed to convince Anne to go home if only to relieve his mother of the full burden of taking care of the children. Mr. Hardy had accompanied her as he wasn't young enough to sleep on the plastic hospital chairs like his sons and was in dire need of rest. They'd tried to get Mr. Drew to go with the oldest Hardy, but the lawyer had flat out refused, as was to be expected.

There were others in the waiting room now, a young woman with long brown hair accompanied by an elderly woman and an infant, a tired looking boy who looked to be in his late teens dressed in ratty jeans and a dirty t-shirt, a middle aged woman and a teenaged girl, and an elderly man. The whole room was silent, the only sound the soft hum of the electricity and the low murmurs of the unwatched television. Everyone was scared, imagining the worst, praying for the best.

The silence was broken for a moment as Frank's work cell came to life. The taller Hardy brother quickly excused himself into the hallway when he recognized the number.

"Bess," he said into the phone when he was out of hearing distance.

"_Frank Hardy!"_ Nancy's childhood friend screamed into his ear. He winced at her tone, knowing she was going to let him have it. _"Why? Why didn't you call me! That was a terrible thing to do!"_

"I'm sorry Bess, the boss didn't want me to tell you," he apologized, glancing around to make sure no one was listening.

"_Oh my word, when I'm through with him… UGH!"_ the blonde screeched. Frank let out a low chuckle, not for the first time wondering just how Bess of all people had been picked to be his partner. He'd always known she was smart, despite the fact that she acted somewhat dumb, but it had still amazed him when they'd been assigned together.

"You know he just wanted what was best for you. How are the plans by the way?" he asked, changing the subject.

"_Frank Hardy, my best friend is laying in some hospital bed… cold and alone… and you want to talk about the blueprints?"_

"I was hoping to save Josh from your wrath," he replied good naturedly.

"_I finished them. I'm actually headed for Bayport, I should arrive in a few days."_

"Bess," he warned, "you _are_ taking the proper channels to get here, aren't you?"

"_Of course! I don't have a death wish for goodness sakes."_

"Just making sure."

"_Call me the minute anything changes, don't worry about Josh, I'll take care of him."_

"I'm sure you will," he said with a smile, wondering were the old cowardly girl had gone.

"_Alright, I'll see you in a few days. See you then."_

Click.

With a sigh Frank closed his phone, stuffing it back in his pocket as he headed back for the waiting room.

"You ok?" Joe asked when he got back, taking his seat next to his brother.

"Yeah, Bess, she's flying out in a few days."

"Bess, your business partner?" Joe asked, trying to find a face to match the name.

"Yes."

"How long does it take to fly in from Europe?" Joe asked in confusion, knowing Bess was Nancy's friend and wondering why shouldn't fly right out.

'_Long when you're flying in from a Middle Eastern war zone.' _ Frank thought. "She has a few things she needs to wrap up with our boss before she leaves," Frank lied.

Joe was just about to comment when his cell phone rang.

_Anne Hardy_

"Hey baby," Joe whispered as he left the waiting room.

"_Joe, I called Logan with the news and he asked me something about Nancy's Springing Power of Attorney?"_

"Oh, that's kind of like a living will, only it grants family members to make medical decisions should she become incapacitated; also to give instruction on placement of children should there be any. I'll talk to Mr. Drew about it."

"_Logan said since Nancy was his client she left him a letter to give to her father, who is her Springing Power of Attorney I guess, with all her wishes on the matter."_

"Ok, I'll talk to Mr. Drew," Joe stopped when he noticed a nurse headed his way, "Listen babe, I got to go, a nurse is approaching."

Everyone in the waiting room froze when they heard the distinct click of a nurse's heel. Slowly heads rose, greeting her with blank, sleepless expressions filled with worry and fear. She scanned the room for a moment before announcing the name on her chart.

"Nancy Drew?"

Sighs of frustration and relief coursed through the room as the other occupants bowed their heads once again.

"I'm her father," Carson Drew told the nurse quietly, like he was afraid of what she'd say.

"Mr. Drew, if you would please step into the hallway, the doctor will be here to see you shortly. Until then I would like to stress that your daughter is alive," the nurse stated, putting her hand on his arm to offer reassurance.

"Hey, how's Nancy?" Joe asked as he jogged over to the small group.

"Alive," Mr. Drew breathed.

"Here's Dr. Holden now!"

Everyone followed the nurse's gaze till they spotted an attractive middle aged man with dark brown hair and mint green eyes in green scrubs.

"Thank you Karen, I'll take it from here," Dr. Holden dismissed. The nurse gave a quick nod before leaving them alone in the empty hallway. "Mr. Drew, your daughter sustained multiple injuries, including two broken ribs that punctured her lungs; one of Nancy's arteries was nicked and she lost a lot of blood, it also seems that her kidneys were severely damaged. She is stable, but she sustained major head trauma, and we won't be able to tell how extensive the damage was to her cerebrum, which I'm afraid to say controls her memory. I'm not trying to scare you Mr. Drew, but I do want to prepare you. There is a big chance that if Nancy wakes up, she will have severe memory loss."

"If?" Frank asked.


	4. The Voice of Love

Chapter 4 – The Voice of Love

When morning came, it wasn't an alarm clock or the feel of the sun that woke Anne from her slumber, but the opening and closing of her door. Sitting up, she wiped the sleep from her eyes before smiling at the intruder.

"Nicky, what's wrong?" she asked the small boy standing in her doorway. He looked much like his mother with thick hair that had a blond tint and intense blue eyes. Looking at him, there in his fire engine pajamas and teddy bear slippers with a blankie firmly clutched in one hand while he sucked the thumb of the other, broke her heart; he was so young, so innocent.

"Aunt Anne, when is mommy coming home?" he asked childishly as he walked towards her.

"Oh baby," Anne whispered as she pulled the child into her bed. "Mommy's body is broken and we need to give the doctors time to fix her."

"Mommy's going to be ok, right?"

"I don't know honey," Anne told him gently as she held him close. "We have to wait and see, but your mommy's a strong woman." Anne gave him a soft smile before pressing her lips to his forehead.

After a few minutes of simply holding the small boy, Anne finally noticed the early hour. It was far too early to be up and about. Thankfully she was greeted with Nicky's sleepy eyes, so she laid him down next to her and pulled him close before falling asleep.

A few hours later, the sun was shining through the curtains and Anne could hear the familiar noises of her children playing. She smiled when she felt Nicky shift next to her. The blond let out a yawn as he crinkled his still shut eyes and stretched his small chubby arms. Anne's heart ached, he looked so much like Nathan.

"Good morning sunshine," she greeted as she peppered his face in kisses. Nicky giggled and squirmed beneath her, enjoying the attention. "Would you like some breakfast?"

"Yes please Aunt Anne," he replied with a wide grin as he climbed out of her bed.

"Let us go then superstar," Anne cooed, lifting him from the bed and making her way down the stairs.

"Nicky," Nan greeted when she spotted her older brother, her smile brightening considerably now that her protector had returned.

"Morning Anne, Nicky, did you two sleep well?" Mrs. Hardy asked, walking towards the stove.

"I was having a bad dream and when I have a bad dream I go to mommy, but she wasn't here," Nicky explained sadly. With a sigh that should never escape the mouth of a child, Nicky climbed onto the stool next to Nan.

With Nicky distracted by some conversation his sister had started, Anne walked over to her mother in law with curious eyes. "Any news?"

"Nancy's out of surgery, she's in a coma and they don't know if she'll wake up. Poor Carson refuses to leave her side. Joe called, said he and Frank were going to come home soon."

"I hope Nancy gets better," Anne sighed, turning her gaze to the children while her mother in law observed her. The look on Anne's face was a look Laura Hardy was all to familiar with. It was the look that had been on the young girl's face when they had first met.

"_Mom, we're home! We got company!" Joe yelled from the living room, alerting Laura to their presence. _

"_In the kitchen," she replied, while the teenagers made their way to the kitchen. "Hello Vanessa, Cal—" Laura stopped when she caught sight of the fourth person in her kitchen. Standing in the doorway with her arms crossed protectively across her chest was a girl a few years younger then Joe. Laura could tell that the girl had once been beautiful, but sad circumstances must have fallen over her. The child's blonde hair was dull cream color, her eyes were sunken and hollow, exposing her pain. She was thin and her clothes swallowed her whole. Her skin was gray and stretched thin across her bones like latex, not a hint of color in it except for the dark purple bruises under her eyes from lack of sleep. "Hello."_

"_Mom, this is Anne, Vanessa's cousin who just moved here from Chicago," Joe told her, an uneasy smile on his face. "Anne, this is my mother, Laura Hardy."_

"Everything will work out in the end, Anne," Mrs. Hardy consoled gently, laying a hand on her daughter in law's shoulder.

"Mommy!" Freddy squealed happily when he entered the room, his hand clasped in Cordy's.

"Hello darling," Anne greeted as she kneeled before her two children.

On the other side of the world, a young woman was sitting at an airport in Madrid. An outsider would have assumed she was made of money. She was dressed in a simple black dress that hugged every curve in her body with a white designer blazer and black and white Prada pumps. Her dark black hair was twisted up in an elegant French twist and her eyes were shielded by a set of black Coach sunglasses.

"Mrs. Berezniki?" a pretty young stewardess inquired as she looked down at the woman.

"Yes?" she replied, her fingers unconsciously curling around the handle of her Prada tote bag.

"The first class passengers are boarding now." The dark haired woman gave the stewardess a curt nod as she picked up her purse and boarded the plane. Just as she was settling herself in her seat, her phone went off.

"Berezniki."

"_Maintaining good cover Bess?"_ the voice asked over the line.

"Oh, hi sweetheart! Yes I'm doing ok," Bess replied, her green eyes scanning the passengers.

"_Good. You don't think you were followed?"_

"No, I should be home soon."

"_Good, how many flights have you been on? How many aliases have you used?"_

"Three, two, but you know plane arrival times, notoriously unreliable," Bess stated, careful to make each response cryptic in case she was being followed.

"_Alright, where you headed?" _

"I'll see you soon, we can go see the space needle when I get home."

"_Seattle? Alright, after you arrive I'll have Richardson waiting for you. He'll drive you to LA then you can get on a direct flight to BAY Airport."_

"Ok honey, I need to go. I'll see you soon."


End file.
